Wire reinforced container and method of making same



1954 s. w. ALDERFER 2,693,291

WIRE REINFORCED CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 15 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l H INVENTOR. srmu/va m ALDERFER A BY ATTORNEYS 1954 s. w. ALDERFER 2, 93

WIRE REINFORCED CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

STERLING M ALDERFEI? BY Arrok/vns Nov. 2, 1954 s. w. ALDERFER 2,693,291

[Will illllillflllll Willi! (Ill!!! I ll WIRE REINFORCED CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Sterling W. Alder-fer, Akron, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application March 15,1951, Serial No. 215,798

9 Claims. (Cl. 220-23) .the shattering of the bottle and the flying about of fragments in case itis struck by a projectile. For this purpose, the exterior of the bottle or cylinder is wrapped with a high tensile steel wire of the grade usually referred to as "piano wire. in order to prevent the wire from unwrapping when it is severed by the projectile, the Wire which is wrapped about the bottle is given a preliminary curvature with a radius substantially less than the radius of the container. It is also necessary to provide means for holding the ends of the wire and securing them in place after the completion of the wrapping operation.

While the containers are primarily intended for military purposes, they may be used in civilian life inthe storage of all types of gases or fluids under pressure.

The present invention has to do with the provision of noveland improved means for holding the ends of the wire wrapping in position, the object being to simplify and improve upon known methods of accomplishing this purpose. The particular construction illustrated herein is designed to give a better and more efficient means of holding the ends of the wire and one which is simpler and easier to fabricate than previously known and used methods. V

In the drawings there are shown the various steps of the method which is used, without in any way limiting the scope of the invention, except as the same may be set forth in the claims appended hereto.

The invention not only consists in themethod which is followed in making the container, but also in the finished article which presents certain novel features as set forth in the claims. 7 1

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view showing the container or bottle mounted in the revolving chuck of a winding machine, which is used to apply the circumferential wire wrapping.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the upper part of the winding machine showing the manner in which the wire is given its preliminary curvature.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the finished bottle.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of. the bottle and the wire surrounding it, the central portionof the bottle being broken out.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the ends of the wire wrapping and the collars or rings which hold the wrapping in'place.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing one of the rings or grommets which is used to hold the ends of the wire in place, the rings being identical for both ends but turned in opposite direction. a

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the container or bottle which is usually made as a cast steel cylinder closed at one end 2, with a dome-like formation, and at the other end 3 with a similar dome like formation United States Patent Ofiice with an outlet 4 to which the valve or other fitting is. at-

tached. The main body of the bottle is cylindrical and it is along that portion that the wire reinforcement is applied. The wire which is used is indicated at 5 and yoke 38 pivoted on I 2,693,291 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 of the grade known as piano is a high tensile steel wire wire; for the reasons specified above, it is given a curvature somewhat less in radius than the radius of the bottle so that it will tend to cling to the bottle. In the form of the invention shown herein, only one layer of wire is wrapped about thebottle, instead of two layers or turns as has been found necessary in prior art constructrons.

The wrapping operation is lathe, which is provided with a rotary chuck 10 having a recess 11 to receive the outlet end of the bottle. The other end of the bottle is received in a second rotary chuck 12 having a recess 13. Preferably, the chuck 12 is movable axially to permit mounting of the bottle and around the chuck 12 is an adjustable collar 15 held in position by a stud 16 and rotatable clamping nut 17, operating through a slot 18 in the collar. The inner edge of the collar has a tapered edge 20 which is used to position the ring and to crowd up the last turns of the wire reinforcement, as will be explained. The chuck 10 is formed with a recess 22 to receive the end of the wire in starting the winding operation, a set screw 23 serving to hold the wire.

When the container or bottle is placed in the chuck, it will be rotated by any suitable driving means, not shown.

The wire 5 is.led from a reel to the winding point over a movable carriage shown in Fig. 3 and indicated as a whole bythe numeral 25. This carriage is mounted on slides 26 on the lathe bed and it may be propelled along the axis of the bottle by the usual screw feed (not shown) or, during the winding operation, the screw feed may be disconnected and the carriage will then float along the rails 26, being propelled by the wire as it accumulates on the container.

Rising from the carriage is a pillar 28, in the upper end of which is pivotally mounted at 29 a floating arm 30 havinga depending portion at its outer end in which there is an eye 31, through which the wire passes. The inner end of arm 30 carries a shoe 33 which, during the winding operation, rests upon the upper side of the bottle. As shown'in Fig. 1, the underside of the shoe 33 is cutout to provide a guiding surface 34, against which the wire bears as the winding operation proceeds.

When the carriage 25 is disconnected from a positive feeding means, the wire, as it builds up along the axis of the bottle and as it exerts pressure against the shoe, will advance the carriage along the bottle and, at the same time, the turns of wire will be crowded together.

To keep the shoe in contact with the bottle during the winding operation, a second arm 36 overlies the inner end of the arm 30, being supported at its outer end by a the carriage. 40 is located on the end of the arm 36 and at an inter mediate point a headed stud 42 on arm 36 rests upon the arm 30 in a recess 43. This gives the requisite weight to the arm 30 so that the shoe 33 will hold the wire in place on the'bottle as the wrapping operation proceeds.

After the wire 5 leaves the guide 31, it passes around a guide roller 45 mounted on the carriage and then over a bearing shoe 46, which is preferably of leather and mounted in a frame 46 at the side of the pillar 28. The shoe 46 rests against an arm 49 projecting from the frame 48 and is held in place by a set screw 50 threaded through a second arm 51 projecting from the frame 46.

As the wire leaves the shoe 46, it passes, at a sharp angle, over a stationary rod 54 projecting from the frame 49, the tension on the wire, in combination with the abrupt angular path which the wire is compelled to take on its 'way to the container, imparting a permanent set or curvature to the wire which is of lesser radius than the radius of the bottle. While the relative diameters of the coil-of wire and bottle may be varied, as found necessary or desirable, in practice in winding a bottle of 3 /8 inch diameter, for example, the wire is given a preliminary curvature by the means recited which is 2% inches in diameter. This will cause the coils of wire to hug the bottle.

In the operation of winding, after the bottle has been set up in the chuck, the leading end of the wire is inserted in the opening 22 and locked in place. The operaperformed in an ordinary An adjustable weight tor now throws in the clutch to the driving mechanism and a few turns of wire are wrapped about the left hand end of the bottle. These windings may be done without the guiding arm and the turns crowded together by a blunt tool. The operator now places over the bottle, next to the turns already' applied, the ring' or collar 60' which is' shown in detail in Fig; 7.

This collar or ring is usually made of brass orother relatively soft, deformable metal. It is split, as-shown' at 61, and is provided with a flat body or base portion 62, which rests against the bottle, and with an upstanding flange 63. At one side of the split, the flange 63 is cut away as shown at 64 to permit the passage of the Wire through the gap thus provided. While the relative di mensions' of'the flange 63 and base 62 may be varied, in the form shown in the drawings, the flange 63"'is of' a height approximately three times the diameter of the wire 5' and the base 62 is approximately" five times the diameter of the wire. v

At the left hand end of the bottle, the flange 63' is placed next to the coils which have already been applied, and then the wire is passed through the gap 64 and a sufficient number of revolutions of the bottle are made so'tha't the base 62 is covered. The guide arm-- 30 may now be located with the shoe 33 against. the last coil of wire and the machine set in operation which covers the main body of the bottle.

As the winding approaches the rlght hand or far end of the bottle, the rotation is stopped and a second ring 60 is placed around the bottle, the base 62 projecting toward the left. The collar is now moved to the left to hold the ring in place. The operator now raises the arm 30 and continues the winding operation until the base 62 of this ring is covered. He then-withdraws the collar 15, passes the wire through the gap 64 andcontinues the wrapping operation until a suflicient number of turns of wire have been applied to the bottle. The winding operation is now complete and the collar 15 can be used to force the coils of wire together, if such-operation is necessary. v I I The next operation consists in applying solder to the wire to hold the coils in place until the clamping. rings. are secured. Masses of solder are shown at 70 and are applied to each end of the bottle so as to cover the turns of wire that lie outside of the respectiverings, these masses being located at the gap 64" in each ring. v

The ends of the wire are then cut at each soldering point. 7

The final operation consists in spinning downthe upstanding flanges 63 so that they envelope the turns of: wire lying outside the rings and firmly hold the ends ofthe wire in position. In spinning the flanges over the wires suflicient stock is provided so that the extreme edges of the flanges hook over the last turn ofthe wire.

It will be seen that the peculiar locking means'provided acts as a secure interlock for the wire andthat. there is no opportunity whatever for the rings or grommets-to become loose or freed from'the wire, nor is there any opportunity forthe wire to loosen. This is. becausethe rings or grommets are in the form somewhat resembling an elongated angular 8, one arm of the- S' lying under and held by turns of wire setback from the end of the wire wrapping. The intermediate portion ofthe 8 passes between turns of. wire and hence the grommet cannot shift on the wire wrapping. The other arm of the 8 lies over the outside turns of wire and is hooked down over the outside turn.

This is a method of locking and holding the wire wrapping which is much superior to previous means of holding the ends of the wire coils. It is preferred, ofcourse,

to use the same method of securing thelast coils of wire at both ends of the container. 7

The bottle may be given alight coating or wash of solder if desired.

What is claimed is: I I

1. A container of the type set forth having a cylindri cal body, a reinforcing wire spirally wrapped about the body, and means for holding the wire in position comprising a split ring of S-shaped cross section having a main portion thereof in contact withv the cylinder, an intermediate portion passing between adjacent coilsoi the wire, and a flange overlying the outermost turns of. the wire.

2. Acontainer of the type set forth'havinga cylindrical body, a reinforcing wire spirally wrapped about the body, and means. for holding. the wire in position com.- prising a split ring having a base portion resting upon the cylinder and covered by a plurality of coils of wire, an intermediate portion extending between adjacent coils of wire, and a flanged portion: extending in the opposite direction from the base portion. and overlying the outer turns of wire.

3. A container of the type set' forth having a cylindrical b'o'dy, a reinforcing wire spirally wrapped about the body, andmeans for holding thewirc: inposition comprising a split ring having at base portion resting upon the cylinder and covered by aplurality of coilsof. wire, an intermediate portion extending between adjacent coils of wire, and a flanged? portion extending in the opposite direction from the base portion and overlying the outer turns ofwire, said fian'ged portion being provided with a gap through which the wire passes across the intermediate portion ofv the ring:

4.. A container'of the typesetforth compris-inga body; a reinforcing wire spirally wrapped about the' body; a wire-holding ring located adjacent t-he-cnd of the wrapping, said ring having one flanged portionin contact with the body" and covered by a plurality of turns of wire, an intermediate portion passing between adjacent coils of wire; and a second-flanged portiOnextending' from them-- termediate portion in the direction opposite-to the firstflanged portion, said second flanged portion overlying the outermost turns of thewire.

5 A container such as described in claim 4 in which the edge of thesecond flanged portion is bent around theoutermost turn of the wire. 7

6; A container of the te set'forth comprising a body, a reinforcing wire spirally wrapped about the body, a wire holding ringlocated adjacent the endof the wrapping, said ring having oneflanged-po'rtion" in contact with the body and covered by a plurality of turns. of wire, an intermediate portion passing between adjacent coils of wire, and a second flanged portion extending from the intermediate portion in the" direction opposite to the first flangedportion, said second flanged portion overlying the outermost turns of the wire, the intermediate portion of the ring having agap through which the wire passes.

7. The method of rein-forcing a cylindrical container comprising wrapping" a wire about the container, passing a split ring having a' main; portion and an upstanding flange over the container and positioning it adjacent the convolutions of'wn'e on the container, passing the wire through the split, andwrapping it over the main por tion of the ring and then bending the upstanding flange over the'convolutions-of the wire'fir'stapplied'.

8; The method of reinforcing a cylindrical container comprising wrappinga wire around the container, passing a split ring having a main portion and an upstanding flange over the container and positioning it adjacent the convolutionsofwire' on the container, covering the main portion of the ring with convolutions of' the wire up to the flange, passing the wire through the split in the ring, wrapping additional convolutions over the' container, and bending the flange down onto the last convolutions of the wire. 1 I

9'. The method of reinforcing a: cylindrical container comprising wrapping a wire in a plurality of convolutions about the container, applying to the container a split ring having a main portion resting on the container and an upstanding flange, continuing the wrapping of the who while passing the wire through the split inthe ring, and covering the base' portion of the ring, and then deforming the flange so as to enclose the outermost convolutions of the-wire.

References Cited' in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 12, 1942 

